Materazzi's new statement on the 2006 final

Marco Materazzi has given an inside account of the incident in which Zinedine Zidane headbutted him in the 2006 World Cup final. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport 20 years after the event, Materazzi said he would repeat the same words today. Materazzi accepted that what he did was wrong, but said his opponent had provoked him and that this is how things unfolded.

Materazzi also spoke about his encounter with Zidane in 2010. He said that in November 2010, he came across Zidane behind the Meliá Hotel in Milan, shook his hand and had a brief conversation. Materazzi said Zidane denied the encounter, claiming he had thought Materazzi was a fan.

Materazzi also addressed why Zidane never made an official peace statement. He said he had no problem with it himself, and suggested Zidane may not have wanted to back down because his outburst on the pitch had been so significant. Materazzi also referred to his own history of provocation, saying it was not the first time he had provoked someone, and that Zidane's headbutt was not his first either.

Materazzi said he believes Zidane has already moved on from the incident, judging by his career as a head coach. He added that the topic has returned to the headlines because of an upcoming Italy-France match.